Wm Meriwether
Born Dec. 25, 1730
Died Dec. 21, 1790

^BIRTH **NHM claims he was born in Louisa County; ? has Goochland; MWK has Hanover Co. Goochland was not created until 1742, so Louisa or Hanover it must be.

**REFN (missing: DAR v146p53, v154p56, v156p156)

Last will and testament of William Meriwether
Signed: 26 October 1790
Recorded:  1 February 1791, Jefferson County, Kentucky

In the name of God. Amen. I, William Meriwether, Senior, of the County of Jefferson, being of sound mind and memory, do make and appoint this my last will (and) testament and do dispose of my estate in the following manner, to-wit:

Imprimis. I lend unto my wife, Patty Meriwether, during her natural life, the plantation, houses and land whereon I now live, supposed to be about two hundred and eighty acres, part of the land I purchased of A. S. Dandridge, and after her decease to give and bequeath the said land and plantation to my son, William Meriwether, to him and his heirs forever.

Item. I give and devise to my son, Valentine Meriwether, two hundred and three acres of land, the balance of the tract of land whereon I now live and adjoining the above described land, and bounded by the (lines) Yancy made for him, to him and his heirs forever.

Item. I give and devise to James Meriwether, my son-in-law, one hundred acres of land, to include the plantation where he now lives, being part of a tract of land I purchased of Nicholas Meriwether, on the south fork of Bear Grass Creek, and agreeable to the lines that are established between him, the said James Meriwether, my son-in-law, and my son, William Meriwether, to him and his heirs forever.

Item. I give and devise to my son, William Meriwether, the balance of the last mentioned tract of land, of which James Meriwether hath one hundred acres bequeathed, every part or parcel thereof, to him, the said William Meriwether, my son, to him and his heirs forever.
 
Item. It is my will and desire that my executors do sell so much of my other lands not contained in the before mentioned clauses as will settle my just debts; and after the said debts are paid, I give and devise the balance of my land unto my three sons, David Wood Meriwether, William Meriwether and Valentine Meriwether, to be among them equally and impartially divided, to them and their heirs forever.

Item. I give and devise to James Meriwether, my son-in-law, a negro boy, called Simon, son of Agnes, to him and his heirs forever.

Item. I give and devise unto John Hughes, my son-in-law, a negro girl, called Rachel (a child of Aggeys), to him and his heirs forever.

Item. I lend unto my wife, Patty Meriwether, during her natural life, all the rest of my negroes, stock, furniture and property of every kind, except debts due me, by her, disposed of at her death or at any time before, as she may choose, among my children or grandchildren, which gift shall be as good and valid as tho' I had made it myself. I do constitute and appoint D. W. Meriwether, William Meriwether, Valentine Meriwether, John Hughes and James Meriwether executors of my last will and testament.

In witness, I have hereunto set my hand and seal 26th day of October, 1790.

WILLIAM MERIWETHER (Seal).

Signed, sealed and acknowledged in the presence:
John Clark,
G. R. Clark,
A. Churchill,
Henry Churchill.

At a Court held for Jefferson County (Kentucky) the first of February, 1791, this last will and testament of William Meriwether, deceased, was produced in Court, and, being proved by Jno. Clark, George R. Clark and Henry Churchill, witnesses thereto (it was) ordered to be recorded.

(Copy) (Attest): Will Johnston, C. J. C. Geo. H. Webb, Clerk. By Chas. D. Greppen, D. C.

Patriot #A077654

William Meriwether (1730–90) commanded a company in the Virginia militia. He was born in Goochland County, Va., died in Jefferson County, KY.

155486; 160522

The descendants of this William and Patty were among the first settlers in Kentucky, some later settling in Indiana, and thence moving to Illinois and to North Missouri. Most of their descendants, however, continue to live near and in Louisville.

A great-grandson, George Wood Meriwether, was an early chronicler of the family and had extensive records, particularly of the Kentucky and Illinois groups. 152

Martha
Wife of Wm Meriwether
Born 1735
Died Oct. 12, 1800

^NAME **Cocke books claim name is COCKE; others show COX. Since her maternal grandmother was Cocke and mother a Cox, could be either!

^BIRTH **NHM has 1732; CHC MI has 1735; MWK has Hanover Co.

Her brother, Valentine, married Lucy Henry, sister of Patrick Henry. Their grandson was Gen. Joseph Eggleston Johnson, CSA. 162

"My grandfather was born in 1791 and died in 1857. He says, as you will see, that the data was taken from the journal of his grandfather, Valentine Wood, who was the son of the said Henry Wood and Martha Cox.

Here is a copy of the paper:" "...Patty Wood, daughter of Henry Wood and Martha Wood, was born Saturday, October 7, 1732, at 3 o'clock in the afternoon and baptised. Theoderick Bland, Henry Wood and Judith Cox, sureties; and married William Merewether, grandson of Colonel Nicholas Merewether, formerly of the county of Hanover, July 21, 1751..."-- I have several DAR references that vary. This seemed to be the best that I have been able to find. (Bill Henderson 1999)

WOOD–MERIWETHER

William and Patty married in July, 1751, in Goochland County, witnessed by H. Wood; the surety bondsman was Valentine Wood. Virginia record transcripts show the marriage as occurring on 1 July, but other sources claim 21 July.

William and Martha also raised Sarah “Sally” Harding, who was Martha’s first cousin, after Sallys’s mother died while Sally was an infant. Sally married Thomas Pollard and several of her descendants married into the Meriwether family.

Sharon Pike: In a genealogy of the Pollard family written by Benj. R. Pollard the following is written about his mother.

"My father married Miss Sally, or Sarah HARDING, whose mother died while she was an infant. She was raised by Mr. and Mrs. Merewether (sic), the grandfather and mother of David H., George, and Lewis Meriwether, of the city of Louisville and vicinity.

Sarah "Sally" Harding was the first cousin of Martha Cox Wood, which explains why she was raised by the Meriwethers.